Poutine Survey: Who here has eaten it? Who here loves it?

Not cheese.

Cheese curds. It's not poutine without curds.

And the fries and brown peppery gravy have to be hot enough to semi-melt the curds.

Don't know what that crap made with cheese is s'posed to be.

Curds aren't cheese? (Truly, this is all strange to me - aren't they like cottage cheese?)

Nope. Nothing like cottage cheese in taste or texture.

Can you imagine cottage cheese squeaking? curds have to be fresh and squeaky.

I suppose I need to come up to Toronto so I can straighten myself out.

ok, it was cheese curds.....it has a cheese flavor as compared to let's say an asparagus or a chicken or an ice tea flavor if it needs to be described.

It got melted by the gravy, the potatoes were hot, right out of the fryer. The stuff looked like any of a bunch of pictures of poutine. I'm sure it was genuine poutine.

I think it's one of those things that if you grew up with it, it sends you.

Otherwise, it's potatoes, gravy and cheesey flavored curds.

It wasn't horrible I'm not insulting it. It's just that it was just potatoes, gravy and cheese curds. I also don't get why it has the ultimate reputation of being so bad for you. I'm sure getting a big mac and french fries gives you the same amount of fat. Not healthy, but not like the worst thing you could eat.

If I was hungry, and it was a choice between poutine and a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, I'd take the poutine.

I brought it home, tasted it, Wally tasted it, and we both decided we'd now had poutine.

When I went to the pool after work today, I passed the poutine trailer, waved to the friendly Canadian, and he waved back at me. His wife is having their first baby in a couple of weeks, so I hope the business does well.

just google an image of cheese curds. They look like lumps of provolone or mozzarella, kinda . Don't let it keep you awake wondering about it, it's pretty basic.

where does the whey come in, miss muffett...?

Pretty darn stressed and depressed today so I forced myself to splurge a little on some potential comfort food. So, I have tried Poutine at Brooklyn's Mile End Deli. It's pretty darn good but ... pricey at $16. It came with Mile End Deli's signature critically acclaimed smoked meat which is allegedly Montreal based BBQ.


The cheese curds have the consistency between mozzarella and mashed potatoes. Is this what cheese curds are supposed to be like?

I'll try it again. Maybe at another spot or this place again but I bet it would make a better cold weather comfort food then for this time of year when the weather is still trying to decide whether its aiming for fall nippy or remain summer hot.


Any recommendation for poutine from any other NYC restaurant sources?

1) smoked meat is not related to BBQ

2) curds need to be squeaky - texture heading toward mashed potatoes is very wrong. they are cheddar just before they becomes block cheddar - so they need to be quite firm. they should also have a somewhat tangy flavour

were the fries double-fried? that's what gives them their distinctive texture - crunchy on the outside, soft/creamy on the inside

The curds were more firmer then I made them out to be. But they weren't squeaky whatever that exactly means.

The fries were in fact double fried as they were darkly golden brown.

I was erroneous about the BBQ statement. I always assumed that smoked meat was another form of BBQ.

http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/mile-end/

once you've had curds that squeak you'll know what it means - they squeak when you bite into them - it's a sign of them being very fresh cheese - once they are past the squeaking stage they shouldn't be used

sounds like the place has potential

do they have tongue on the menu?

Thanks for that visual.

They have a limited menu that changes seasonally and they are in the process of changing their menu online:
http://www.mileenddeli.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/NEW-MENUS2.pdf

I looked at the Bond Street menu. I think I'd try the smoked meat hash and latkes. Or the small chopped liver plate and cucumber salad.

One can only hope this is so . Perhaps they can follow my grandmother's recipe which was better than any I ever had elsewheres.

A little off topic but...anybody eaten Thrasher's boardwalk fries?
A staple on the Maryland Jersey shore...hmm good.

My mother cooked tongue, and it involved sugar.

I avoided the fatty part but liked the less fatty.

best with lotsa vinegar and extra salt.

one of the highlights of Ocean City...

and I've had cheese curds while in the twin cities for shows, but never poutine.

and now it is not on the approved menu.

nevermore...

You got that right!